T-Post Fence Installation

The steel T-post carries most of the fence in East Texas. It drives in minutes, costs a fraction of a set wood post, holds up in wet ground and clips to barbed wire, woven wire or panels. What it cannot do is hold a pull, which is why every T-post fence has wood or pipe posts at the corners, ends, gates and braces. A T-post fence done right is a line of T-posts between properly built anchor points, driven to depth, spaced for the ground, with the wire stretched between the braces and simply clipped along the line. That is how we build it.

What T-posts carry

• Barbed wire for cattle pasture and property lines.
• Field fence and rolled wire for goats, sheep, dogs and mixed stock.
• Cattle panels and hog panels for pens and yards.
• Electric fence and temporary paddocks.

How we build it

1. Anchor points first. Wood or pipe posts at every corner, end, gate and brace, set deep in concrete or tamped, built into H-braces where wire will be stretched. How a proper H-brace goes together.
2. Line sighted straight. A string or sight line between braces, so the posts go in a line and the wire does not zigzag.
3. Posts driven to depth with a post driver, plumb, anchor plate buried, studs facing the animals so the wire sits on the inside.
4. Spacing for the fence and the ground. Wider on flat ground with barbed wire, closer with field fence and panels, closer still at every rise and dip.
5. Wire stretched between braces, then clipped to each post with galvanized clips. The posts hold the wire up; the braces hold it tight.

Why choose a T-post fence, and how to build it right covers the finer points, and driving posts versus setting posts explains when a driven post beats a concrete one.

Posts, clips and lifespan

We use standard 1.25-pound-per-foot or heavier studded T-posts, painted or galvanized, in lengths that leave the right height above ground for the fence. Clips are galvanized. A T-post line with good braces lasts as long as the wire on it; the common failure is a brace that was never built right, which lets the whole run go slack and leans the T-posts with it. Rebuilding braces is one of the most common repairs we do.

Where wood line posts are the better choice

Near the house, along a driveway, or wherever the fence will be looked at up close, wood line posts look better and take a wood top rail. Corrals and pens need pipe or heavy wood because animals push on them. For long pasture and property lines, T-posts are the practical answer and we will say so.

What affects the price of a T-post fence

The wire on it, more than the posts. Barbed wire on T-posts is the least expensive fence we build; field fence costs more per foot; panels more again. Corners and braces are a fixed cost per corner, so a long straight line is cheaper per foot than a short one with many turns. Clearing the line, water gaps and gates are the other variables. We walk the line and price it on site.

Frequently asked questions

Can a whole fence be built on T-posts?

The line, yes. The corners, ends, gates and braces cannot, because a T-post cannot hold a pull. Every T-post fence has wood or pipe posts at those points, and that is where the fence is actually anchored.

How deep is a T-post driven?

Until the anchor plate near the bottom is below the surface, usually about 18 to 24 inches. In sandy lake soil we drive deeper. A post driven short leans the first time an animal leans on the fence.

How far apart should T-posts be?

Eight to twelve feet for barbed wire on level ground, eight to ten for field fence, four to eight for panels. Closer where the ground rises or dips, so the wire holds its height.